This is a secret I’ve kept in for quite awhile now, and am super excited to tell you all I’ll be in Brooklyn on September 21 – bringing you calligraphy knowledge, and hopefully a little fun, too! My long-time internet friend (whom I am so excited to finally meet in person), Erin, of Knot & Bow recently opened a studio and I’ll be co-hosting a workshop with her! If you’re in the area, I would love to see you, have a coffee with you, and perhaps teach you, too!

With a huge variety of calligraphy supplies out there – nibs, inks, pens, papers, etc. – I think it can often get overwhelming when making your purchases. While many supplies are based on personal preference, other supplies I believe are a bit more quality than others. I wanted to share with you some of my favorites and give you some tips on where to purchase them!

First off, one of my favorite websites is Paper & Ink Arts. They have such a variety of quality supplies – and always ship very quickly. There, you can buy some of my favorite inks:

Dr. Martin’s Pen White & Copperplate Gold – two great inks for those special white and gold requests. You’ll want to water down the pen white before use, but I love it because it doesn’t bleed. The Copperplate Gold can be found at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores.

FW – a great acrylic ink for colored jobs. Drying time is a bit longer than most other inks.

Winsor & Newton – This gouache has been the most quality and easiest to work with. Purchasing Series 1 is just fine, especially for beginners. You’ll mix this with water until you get the color and consistency you desire. Just love this medium. (Excellent for white and gold, as well).

The pen I use for every job is an oblique pen – in fact, I use just a really cheap-y pen. I find I like them and I have so many laying around I never misplace it! People often ask why I use an oblique pen – it’s because it’s what I know! I learned on an oblique pen (used for a traditional script) and have gotten so used to holding it I continue to use it.

My hands-down, absolute favorite nib is the Zebra G nib. You can buy them individually at Paper & Ink Arts or in packs of 10 at Jetpens.com. (They offer free shipping on orders of $25, as well).

For practicing, warming up, or lettering jobs, marker paper is just great. Try one like this.

Lastly, I couldn’t do most of my jobs without my light box. This 9 x 12 box is the current box I use and I love love love it.

Oh, and get this! If you enter code BLUEEYEBROWNEYE at Paper & Ink Arts, you can get 5% off your total purchase!

UPDATE: This class has sold out, but I have one more class on the books in Austin – September 25 at 6 pm. Only one spot left!

So excited to announce my first calligraphy class in Austin! I officially secured the venue today and am pumped to offer this to those who have asked! The class will be August 14th at 6 pm at Vuka Studios. Please feel free to read more about my classes here and get all of the information you’ll need!

Ok, I know it might not technically be summer yet, but it sure does feel like it in Texas. I spent this past weekend in Austin with two close girlfriends, and had the best time relaxing by the pool at our hotel (Hotel San Jose) and catching up. What are your big plans for the summer?

Uppercase calligraphy classes are here! For those of you that have taken my lowercase course, the next step to advancing your learning is mastering uppercase letters. Additionally, we’ll go over using colored inks and exercises in writing words/connecting letters.

Classes are Wednesday, July 10 at 6 pm and Saturday, July 20 at 9 am.

You will get a brand new batch of supplies, including a new tracing pad, uppercase alphabet, grid, bottle of colored ink, pot of black ink, washi tape, 3 new nibs, and an oblique pen.

Please note: there is only 1 spot left in the July 10 class, 5 spots open in the July 20 class! This class is also only for those who have taken my lowercase class, or have taken a beginner class previously. We’ll dive right in, so you’ll want basic knowledge!